First Footing
by Willow21
Summary: The New Year brings changes for Josh and Donna, and for Sam as well. Ninth in the Stone By Stone series. (Ensemble, Sam)
1. Part I

**Author: Willow   
Title: **First Footing   
**Summary:** New Year brings changes for Josh and Donna, and for Sam.   
**Spoilers/Episode:** Set in an a/u that leaves the show's timeline after season 5, Memorial Day. This chapter takes place straight after chapter 8.   
**Characters:** Ensemble and Sam (also, finally some shipping).   
**Rating:** PG

* * *

**Part I **

**Tuesday December 28th 2004**

"Donna, have you seen....?" Josh stopped at the edge of Donna's cubicle. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Going home."

"I haven't finished," Josh complained.

"No, but I have. It's 9pm, Josh. I told you I needed to leave early tonight and you said yes. Most normal people wouldn't consider this to be early."

"Okay, I didn't realize it was that late. Have a good time," Josh tried to sound sincere, but Donna had a date so it was hard for him to be too excited for her.

"I'll do my best," Donna smiled. "See you tomorrow."

"Night, Donna," Charlie called as he entered the bullpen. "What's wrong with you?" he asked Josh.

"Donna has a date."

"She's a good looking woman, Josh."

"You think I don't know that," Josh sighed. "What's up?"

"Tell her how you feel."

"Don't start. I've enough with Sam and my mom going on at me."

"We just want you to tell her the truth."

"Why's everyone started giving me advice on Donna all of a sudden?" Josh complained as he walked back into his office.

"It's not all of a sudden. Anyway, it was Donna who got me to tell Zoey how I felt, so I kind of owe her."

"What's up?" Josh repeated.

"Seems a little tactless now."

"Charlie?"

"Zoey's invited me for New Years," Charlie grinned.

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**Wednesday**

"How was your date?" Josh asked Donna, as they sat in his office and shared a lunch of sandwiches and fries.

"I thought you had no interest in my love life?"

"I don't, I'm just making conversation."

"It was alright," Donna replied.

"Alright?" Josh asked. "That's hardly a ringing endorsement."

"He's one of those guys who can only hold a conversation about one subject."

"I almost dread to ask," Josh said.

"Let's just say, I know his entire life history, whereas I don't think he even knows where I'm from."

"Ah," Josh nodded. "Not good then?"

"No," Donna agreed. "Why can't men understand that women like a man to be interested in _them_? Also, why do they think women can't have opinions on anything substantial?"

"It may have escaped your notice, Donnatella, but I'm a man," Josh pointed out.

"You don't count."

"Okay, well I have no idea how to take that," Josh replied and hastily changed the subject. "What are you doing on Friday?"

Donna shook her head. "I dunno," she replied. "What's everyone else doing?"

"Toby's spending New Year with Andi and the twins, CJ's going home tomorrow night and Charlie," Josh smiled, "is going to a party at The Residence with Zoey."

"Really?" Donna grinned. "That's great, and about time."

"I know, he's pretty happy. In fact, he's annoyingly happy," Josh smiled.

"So what are you doing?"

Josh shrugged.

"Me either," Donna agreed.

"Tell you what," Josh suggested. "If neither of us have a date or, well any plans at all by Friday, we'll go someplace together."

"Just the two of us?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," Donna smiled.

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Josh was collecting his papers after the final meeting of the afternoon in the Oval Office, when Jed suddenly remembered something. "Josh, are you alright?"

Josh turned back to face the president, nervously hoping he wasn't still thinking about the events at the Christmas party. "Yes, Sir."

"You were at the hospital this morning?" Jed asked.

"Yeah," Josh smiled with relief. Discussing his physical health was something he didn't mind doing, sometimes. "It was just a check up, everything's fine."

It had been over four years since the shooting, so Jed was still concerned. "I didn't know you still had them."

"Every three months. It's only a couple of hours, I don't think anyone even misses me," Josh smiled.

"What do they do?"

"They do an EKG, a lung function test, a chest screen, blood tests."

"And you always keep the appointments?" Jed's question was also an instruction.

Josh carefully avoided the question, obviously Abbey hadn't mentioned the missed September appointment to the president. "Can you imagine Donna letting me miss one?" he grinned.

"No," Jed smiled.

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That evening as Jed and Leo sat in Leo's office, Jed suddenly announced that he needed to get know the staff better.

"You don't think, after six years, you know them well enough?" Leo asked.

"I didn't know Josh was still having hospital check ups."

"Every three months, well six after today's," Leo told him. "You can't be expected to know everything about their personal lives."

"You do," Jed replied.

"No," Leo shook his head. "I really don't have a clue what's going on in their personal lives."

"Apart from Josh's."

Leo smiled, "Definitely not Josh's, except his health."

"In that case, we both need to get to know the staff better."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Leo asked.

Jed just smiled. "It'll be fun."

"Yes, Sir," Leo agreed a little half heartedly.

Jed hesitated before asking his next question. Even though things were better between them, he wasn't entirely sure what Leo's answer would be. "What are you doing on Friday night?"

"Friday?" Leo asked.

"New Years Eve," Jed reminded him. "Come to The Residence. You can even bring Debbie if you must," he smiled.

"Well with an invitation like that, how could I refuse," Leo replied dryly.

"You'll come then?"

"I will, but Debbie has other plans."

"That's a shame," Jed said, trying not to smile.

"I'm not sure you actually mean that?" Leo grinned.

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**Friday 31 December 2004**

Neither Josh nor Donna were surprised or disappointed to discover that they had no other plans for New Years Eve. Donna had turned down Carol and Margaret, who were going to a party on Capitol Hill. Josh had been invited to number of parties, all of which he'd declined. By midnight they were both sat on Josh's front stoop, huddled in warm coats, celebrating the start of 2005 with Josh's neighbors.

"Happy New Year," she smiled.

"Happy New Year," he replied and resisted the urge to kiss her. "It's freezing, let's go in."

Once inside, they both collapsed drunkenly on his couch and sat watching television until Josh's cell phone rang. "Sam," he told Donna. "Hey, happy New Year."

"Happy New Year," Sam shouted above the noise of a party. "Having a good time?"

"We are. Sounds like you are as well."

"Chloe's colleagues. You know it's worrying that this lot teach young children," Sam laughed. "Oh God, apparently we're going first footing, which seems a little pointless at half past midnight. I'll call you tomorrow."

"See you," Josh smiled.

"He okay?" Donna asked.

"He's going first footing, whatever the hell that is."

"It's a Scottish tradition where you're the first person into someone's house after midnight on New Year. You're supposed to take half a bottle of whisky and a lump of coal."

"Coal?"

"It's lucky. The first person over the doorstep brings the luck to the house for the coming year. He has to be tall, dark and handsome, so Sam fits the bill perfectly," Donna smiled. "They also get the first kiss from the ladies in every house."

"That'll please Chloe," Josh replied. "So Sam's handsome is he?"

"He is, in a matinee idol kind of way," Donna agreed.

"Sam's a matinee idol?" Josh asked. "What would I be?"

"Definitely the bad guy," Donna laughed. "The misunderstood one of course, who was really a good guy at heart."

"And you'd be the damsel in distress?"

"Depends who my savior was going to be."

"Well if Sam's the hero," Josh suggested.

Donna just smiled. "Can I stay here tonight?" she asked. "I'll never get a cab."

"Guest room's already made up," Josh replied.

"Good. Then let's finish the food and drink and watch TV," she suggested as she snuggled down next to him on the couch.

Josh handed Donna another drink with one hand, while he put his other arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

Part II >>>>>>


	2. Part II

**Author: Willow   
Title: **First Footing   
**Summary:** New Year brings changes for Josh and Donna, and for Sam.   
**Spoilers/Episode:** Set in an a/u that leaves the show's timeline after season 5, Memorial Day. This chapter takes place straight after chapter 8.   
**Characters:** Ensemble and Sam (also, finally some shipping).   
**Rating:** PG

* * *

**Part II **

**New Years Day**

"Morning," Donna said as she walked out of the guest room to find Josh sat drinking coffee in the kitchen.

"Hey," he replied in an almost whisper.

"Hang over?"

"Yes," he agreed. "Black coffee doesn't work by the way."

"No. Didn't I tell you to drink water before you went to bed?"

"I don't remember, actually I don't remember going to bed. You want some food?"

"I really don't think you should cook, or even move. You just sit quietly, I'll make something," Donna smiled indulgently.

"Coffee'd be nice."

"No."

"Donna, we're not at work," Josh protested.

"I'm not refusing to bring you coffee, I'm saying you need water. You're dehydrated."

"Coffee has water in it," Josh muttered.

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"I had a good time last night," Donna told Josh three hours later, as they ate lunch.

"We should do it again," Josh said, as he pushed his food around his plate and wondered why Donna was choosing to torture his hung over stomach with fried chicken.

"Next New Years?" Donna asked.

"I was thinking more like tonight. Except we should maybe eat out someplace," he suggested.

Donna looked at the plate of food in front of Josh and smiled, "You think you'll be up for food by then?"

"Possibly," Josh grinned sheepishly. "You want to go?"

"Just the two of us?"

"Yeah."

"Wouldn't that look like a date if anyone saw us?"

"It would," he agreed. "What do you think?"

"I think that would be nice."

"Good."

"Also," she continued. "Candi's away, so no one has actually been into our apartment since last year."

Josh looked confused. "That was yesterday."

"Yes," she agreed. "Did you know that Candi's family are Scottish?"

Josh understood. "I didn't know that. She'd like someone to do the first footing thing then?"

"Yeah."

"Someone tall, dark and handsome?"

"That's right. You think Sam would be able to get here today?" she grinned.

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Josh collected Donna at 8pm, for once in his life he was actually on time. "You look fantastic," he told her.

"Thank you, I have a date."

"Anyone I know?"

"I don't think so. He's attractive, funny, smart and very powerful."

"Not the usual gomer then," Josh commented.

"Oh I don't know, he may turn out to be," Donna teased.

"If he does, you should dump him immediately," Josh advised.

Donna smiled and sat next to him the front of his car. "By the way, you look pretty hot yourself."

"Yeah, I know," Josh grinned.

"You should try and not be so modest," Donna replied. "Are we going to go or just sit here?" she asked when he didn't start the engine.

"We're going on a date," he said, sounding a little stunned.

"Not if you don't start the car we're not."

"I'm serious, this is huge." He turned to face her. "I don't want this to be like a fling, you know a one night stand. I want to do this properly. You do know how much you mean to me?"

"As much as you mean to me. You came to Germany, Josh, not many people would have done that."

He was suddenly very serious as he considered how to put his thoughts into words, not something he normally had a problem with, but this was too important to mess up. "I don't want to mess this up. I don't want to loose you. I don't want some good looking guy to come along and sweep you off your feet and take you away, not if there's a chance things could work between us. If there isn't a chance then tell me and I won't mention it again. But I nearly lost you once. If you don't want to date me because you just don't then...." his words were cut off by Donna placing a finger over his lips.

"Shush, stop talking. I'm sat here waiting for you to take me on our first date aren't I. Of course I want us to be together. How could you not know that?"

"I'm slow?"

"Yes," she agreed. "Me too actually. When I was in the hospital, when I woke up from the operation and you were still there, it felt right. My mom says I'm idiot, she said I was much calmer when you were there with me."

"Really?" Josh asked. "That's kind of weird. That's what my mom said after Rosslyn, I was calmer when you were there."

"She told you that at the time?"

"Yeah."

Donna punched Josh gently on the arm. "And it's taken you over four years to ask me on a date."

"Didn't I just say I was slow?" Josh smiled. "We should probably go before we miss the table."

"You booked a table?"

"No need to sound so amazed, I can function on my own, for very short periods of time."

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**Sunday Morning**

Donna woke at around 6am and wondered briefly where she was. The room was dark, but she could make out enough to know that it certainly wasn't the guest room. She looked to her left and smiled, deciding that she could get use to waking up here, in Josh Lyman's bed. She lay watching him for a minute, before snuggling down next to him and going back to sleep. When she woke again two hours later, Josh was lying watching her with a small smile.

"Well this is new," Donna commented.

"Certainly never happened before," Josh agreed.

"So what do you think?"

"I like it," Josh smiled.

"Me too," Donna agreed.

"I can't believe we're actually here, I mean," he shrugged and smiled again.

"No regrets?"

"No, Definitely not. You?"

"None. I just wish we could stay here forever."

"Might make it difficult to earn money and pay the rent though," Josh told her.

"And food of course, that could be a problem. So we should get up?"

"In a while," Josh replied.

"And your apartment is so conveniently laid out. We have the bedroom, with the bathroom to one side and the kitchen to the other, no need to wander far from the bed."

Josh smiled, "It was why I chose to rent this one."

"Good choice," Donna smiled and stretched up to kiss him.

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By 2.30, hunger had got the better of them and they reluctantly got out of bed.

"Cheese and ham toasted sandwich?" Josh asked from the refrigerator, where he was trying to find something edible.

"Do you have pickle?"

"I do."

"Are the ham and cheese in date?" Donna smiled.

"Hey!" Josh protested. "You really think, after last night, I'd try and poison you?"

Once the sandwiches were made they went and sat in the lounge and turned the TV news on for the first time that day, something almost unheard of for Josh.

"Can we make this work?" Donna asked.

"I'd like to try," Josh replied.

"There's just so much in the way."

"The only thing in the way is work, and we don't even know that that would be an obstacle."

Donna smiled sadly at Josh, "Yes we do."

"Well yeah, okay. But there's nothing else, is there?"

"Work's a pretty big thing," Donna pointed out. "And what about your reputation?"

"What about it," Josh asked.

"You don't mind if people say you took advantage of your assistant?"

"I don't care. Screw 'em, let them say what they want. We've got another two years in office and I don't want to wait that long." When Donna didn't reply, Josh continued. "If you don't want to date me because, well because you just don't, then I guess I can accept that, I can understand. But if the only thing stopping us is work," he shook his head, "work isn't that important."

Donna studied Josh and smiled, "Who are you and what have you done with the real Josh Lyman?" she joked.

"I'm serious."

"Work isn't that important?" she asked. "Josh, work has always been the most important thing in your life."

"Yes, and where's it got me? An apartment I'm hardly ever in and no one here with me when I am."

"So you want someone to be there when you eventually come home from work?"

"Yes. No, not like that," Josh started to protest and then saw that Donna was teasing. "That was mean, Donnatella."

Donna grinned and then something occurred to her. "Why did you come to Germany?"

"You were hurt."

"No, I meant, you were allowed to just drop everything and go to Germany?"

"Yeah," Josh nodded. "Leo told me go." He understood what she was saying. They had an international crisis on their hands, a peace summit to try and arrange, a peace agreement to hammer out, and no one expected him to be anywhere other than Germany, at Donna's bedside. No one ordered him home and no one was surprised that he stayed. "You think they know what we've been trying to hide for years?"

"Not as such," Donna shook head. "I think they just naturally assume we'd be together if one of us needed the other."

"So it could be they may not have a problem with us dating?"

"Maybe."

"So do we tell people?"

In spite of what she'd said, Donna was still worried about what Leo, CJ, Toby and the president would say. "Not yet."

"No," he agreed. "Except if we don't and they find out..."

"Yeah. Let's leave it a while, I want to enjoy it before the fuss and uproar starts."

"Me too," Josh smiled.

Part III >>>>>>>>


	3. Part III

**Author: Willow   
Title: **First Footing   
**Summary:** New Year brings changes for Josh and Donna, and for Sam.   
**Spoilers/Episode:** Set in an a/u that leaves the show's timeline after season 5, Memorial Day. This chapter takes place straight after chapter 8.   
**Characters:** Ensemble and Sam (also, finally some shipping).   
**Rating:** PG

* * *

**Part III **

**Monday January 3rd**

"You know, I think we are the only ones who had a good New Year," Donna told Josh as he drove her home that evening.

"As long as we did," Josh smiled.

"I'm serious," Donna replied. "Margaret and Carol had a bad night."

"Because you weren't with them," Josh told her.

"I think it may have had more to do with the power outage in the street the party was in."

"That is possible," Josh conceded. "Toby didn't seem to have a good time either. I don't think he was planning on Andi's family and friends being at the party. What about CJ?"

"She hasn't said much, but I don't think her dad's doing too well."

"Ahh, yeah," Josh nodded. "I think Leo enjoyed himself, he's in a very good mood anyway."

"Perhaps he got lucky," Donna suggested with a grin.

"Thanks for that thought," Josh grinned. "Charlie had a good time with Zoey."

"So are they actually back together?"

"Unofficially. Officially they're just friends."

"Who are they hiding it from?"

"The world," Josh shrugged. "Well the press mainly, and I'm not sure any of us are suppose to know."

"Then we have something in common with them," Donna said as they arrived at her building. "You want to come in?"

"Yes," Josh smiled. "Is Candi on the night shift?"

"She is."

"Excellent."

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**Wednesday January 5th **

"You're kidding, it's been a year," Josh complained.

"Which is why we need another one," Leo replied.

"Do you know how busy I am?"

Leo looked across at his own desk and then back at Josh, "I think I can imagine." He nodded toward the Oval Office. "He thinks it's a good idea,"

"Oh God, this is part of the bonding stuff."

"'Fraid so."

Josh sighed, "Big Block Of Cheese Day."

"Yes. On the subject of bonding with colleagues," Leo began and Josh felt a sudden sense of dread, did Leo know? "What the hell is wrong with Toby?" Leo continued.

Josh breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't know, he's yelling at everyone who goes near him. I've been avoiding Communications."

Leo gave him a questioning look. "Remind me again what your job title is."

"Hey!" Josh protested. "The deputy chief of staff's job doesn't involve facing down Toby in the kind of mood he's in at the moment."

"Find out what's wrong with him," Leo instructed.

"Thanks," Josh sighed.

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Josh put off talking to Toby until the evening when most people had gone home. At 8pm he walked through Communications and tapped on Toby's open door. "Hey, how's it going?"

"Fine," Toby replied.

"What you working on?"

"It's January, let's see if we can think what I'd be working on?" Toby muttered.

"State Of The Union," Josh said. "You've got three weeks yet."

"And no one to help me."

"You have a whole staff of writers."

"Who aren't good enough."

"No," Josh disagreed. "Most of them are just scared of you at the moment. What's going on?"

"Nothing, why?"

"Because you've been walking round like a bear with a sore head all week."

"A bear?"

"Yeah."

"I'm fine."

"Okay, but you can talk to me if you're ever not fine, you know that?"

"Yeah," Toby nodded and carried on reading through a report.

Josh turned to leave, "I'll see you later."

"You want to go and get a drink?" Toby asked.

Thirty minutes later they were sat in a bar on Capitol Hill. "Do you ever think," Toby began. "I mean when you were with Amy, if something had happened to her, do you ever wonder who they'd have called?"

"No," Josh admitted. "But then maybe I just didn't care enough."

"You cared about her."

"I did, but I never thought about that."

"Okay," Toby replied.

"I do wonder it about Donna though," Josh confided.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Josh confirmed. "Andi?" he asked.

Toby sighed and took a drink of his Scotch. "Ever since the CODEL I've wondered, if she'd been in the car," he shrugged and looked down; maybe Josh wasn't the best person to talk to about this after all.

Josh though nodded, "You wonder who they would have called?"

"And then I wonder whether anyone would bother telling me, the ex-husband."

"They'd call you, you're the twins' father." Josh was aware that Toby wanted to be much more than that. "Have you spoken to her?"

"Yes."

"What she say?"

"That I was an idiot."

Josh suspected that Andi didn't say in quite that way, it certainly explained Toby's mood though.

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**Thursday**

"It's a new year, Toby," CJ said.

"And?"

"In the spirit of bi-partisanship, we should listen to their requests."

"Bi-partisanship?"

"Also, they control the House, so," CJ shrugged.

"Yes, but we're the ones in the _White_ House."

"You're not even going to the meeting, it's Josh and Will."

"That's another thing," Toby complained.

"Yes?" CJ asked.

"Have you all forgotten where Will works? He isn't on the president's staff anymore, he has an office across the street with his boss, Bingo Bob."

"And the president wants Russell to have a voice in this."

"In everything," Toby amended.

"He's the VP."

"Yeah," Toby sighed. "And it's only a year 'til Iowa."

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"How'd it go?" Leo asked later that day when Josh entered his office.

Josh sat down in one of the visitor's chairs. "Well, it was strange."

"Because?"

"Because two weeks ago I was arguing with Mary Marsh that we needed health screening in schools for STDs and today I'm telling Senators Kelly and Higgs that we can't support government funding for in school child day care"

"We can't."

"I know, but it's like we're saying, 'if you catch a disease we'll help you, but if you get pregnant you're on your own'."

"And where would it stop?" Leo asked. "How do we justify providing child day care for 14 year olds and not for working age mothers?"

"That's what I told them."

"Didn't go down well?"

"No," Josh said. "The problem is I agree with them."

"No you don't," Leo told him.

"My mom had to put off college after Joanie was born because they couldn't afford child care. What was it the president said in Nashua, about giving our children better than we had."

"I know. But your mom was 18 not 14 and it was 50 years ago. Not to mention the fact that most colleges provide day care now."

"You see, you have to come back at me with a good argument," Josh smiled.

"It's my job," Leo told him. "Did you speak to Toby?"

"Yeah. It's complicated, he'll be fine."

"Andi?"

"Okay, maybe it wasn't that complicated," Josh shrugged.

Part IV >>>>>>


	4. Part IV

**Author: Willow   
Title: **First Footing   
**Summary:** New Year brings changes for Josh and Donna, and for Sam.   
**Spoilers/Episode:** Set in an a/u that leaves the show's timeline after season 5, Memorial Day. This chapter takes place straight after chapter 8.   
**Characters:** Ensemble and Sam (also, finally some shipping).   
**Rating:** PG

* * *

**Part IV **

**Friday**

"Josh," Andi called and caught up with him. "How you doing?"

"I'm good. You?"

"Yeah," Andi nodded. "How's Donna?"

"You had lunch with her yesterday."

"I know, so how is she?"

It had only been since Donna started staying over at his apartment, that Josh had realized he wasn't the only one who was good at hiding how he was feeling. Donna wasn't sleeping well and, no matter what she said, he knew her leg still bothered her. That wasn't what was keeping her awake at night though, she'd confessed that she still couldn't come to terms with surviving when the others had all died. Josh was certain that Donna didn't want anyone else knowing that though, so he lied, "She's fine."

"Good," Andi replied.

"Toby isn't though," Josh added.

"What's he said?"

"Nothing much, he worries about you."

"It could never work, it didn't before."

"I don't know what happened between you and I don't know what he expects now. I do know that he cares," Josh told her. "And so do you."

"He's the twins' father."

"After the bomb, who was the first person you thought of, who did you call?"

"I doesn't mean I want to spend the rest of my life with him."

"I does mean that you care," Josh said.

"Toby really doesn't need you fighting his corner."

"I'm not and he'd kill me if he thought I was, I'm just saying."

"It takes something like the bomb to make you realize your feelings?" Andi suggested.

"Yes," Josh agreed.

"So you should probably tell Donna."

"How did this become about me? And there's nothing to tell."

"Okay. But you flew out to Germany to be with her and you stayed until you knew she was going to be okay."

"If it had been you, Toby would have been there."

"That's my point," Andi replied.

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**Saturday**

"Did you find out what was wrong with Toby?" Donna asked on Saturday morning.

"Yes."

"Is it Andi?"

"I can't tell say."

"So that's a yes then."

"Possibly. She however thinks it's time I told you how I feel."

"Do you think everyone noticed apart from us?"

Josh smiled, "You mean we didn't notice."

"No," Donna smiled, "We just tried to hide it, not altogether successfully."

"Yeah," Josh agreed. "Donna, are you still seeing Frank?"

"You know I am."

"I know you tell me that's where you're going."

"I may have missed a couple. But I'm fine now."

"You woke up crying last night."

"I thought you were asleep."

"I don't sleep," Josh told her. "Which is why you should still be seeing Frank."

"Because you don't sleep?"

"Because I don't want you ending up as screwed up as me."

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**Sunday**

Josh leaned over and answered the ringing phone, but no one was there. He fumbled for his cell phone but that wasn't ringing either.

"It's the door buzzer," Donna muttered.

"Right." Josh climbed out of bed and staggered to the door. "Yeah?"

"It's me."

"Who?"

"Sam."

"Sam? Come in." Josh pressed the button and returned quickly to the bedroom. "It's Sam."

"Sam who?" Donna asked. "Sam?" she quickly realized. "What's he doing here?" she asked with a smile as she sat up.

Josh grinned, shrugged and went to let his friend in. He opened the apartment door and looked at Sam, before the two friends hugged. "What are you doing here?"

"My flight got in early."

Josh took Sam's bag from him, "What flight?" he asked, following Sam into the living room.

"It was kind of spare of the moment....." he shrugged, "I just wanted to see everyone. Did I wake you?" he laughed at Josh rumpled t-shirt.

"At 7 on a Sunday?" Josh asked, "No, why would you think that."

"I can go and come back later."

"Don't you dare. You want something to eat?"

"Coffee would be......." he trailed off at the sight of Donna standing in the kitchen in an oversized blue pajama top. "Hey," he smiled.

"Hey," Donna grinned and hugged him.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you," Josh smiled.

"You two are dating?" Sam grinned. "It's about time. Nobody said anything."

"That's 'cos nobody knows," Josh replied.

"Oh, okay I guess, but why?"

"Work, Leo, the president, CJ, the press," Donna sighed.

"All good points," Sam agreed.

"Anyway, what are you doing here?" Donna asked.

"I wanted to ask something," he told Josh.

"The phone lines down?" Josh asked.

"You know, I thought you'd be pleased to see me, I thought it'd be a nice surprise," Sam tried to sound hurt, but failed miserably."I wanted to see you, to talk face to face."

"Sounds serious," Josh sounded worried.

"It is, but good serious, I think."

"Why don't you two sit down and start again, while I get dressed," Donna suggested, handing them their coffees.

Once they were sat in the living room, Sam wasn't sure where to begin. He'd been thinking about this since before Christmas, actually he first thought about it after the attack on the CODEL when he wanted to be there for Josh and Donna. That had been a gut reaction to his friends' need though, and it wasn't the right reason or the right time.

"Sam?" Josh prompted.

"Stop looking so worried," Sam smiled. "How's Will doing with Russell?"

"I think he's facing the realities of Washington, discovering who he can and can't trust, and he's still scared of Toby," Josh grinned. "Why?"

"Toby needs a deputy."

"He does," Josh agreed. "But he won't let any of the other writing staff be promoted, says none of them are good enough, he won't hear of bringing in anyone from outside again," Josh shrugged. "He's kind of stuck really, and yelling at everyone, well me mainly," he grinned. "State of the Union's going to be fun this year."

"He needs a deputy," Sam repeated.

"Well unless you're willing to....." Josh began and then looked like he'd been hit by a sudden revelation. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked tentatively, because he didn't want to get his hopes up here.

"What do think?"

"I think it's a great idea," Josh grinned. "But I thought you never wanted to do that again."

"I needed a break, I've had a break, now I want to come back. If they'll, you'll, have me."

"God yes, of course we want you back, we never wanted you to leave. Wow. We've got to tell Toby."

Sam laughed, "I think we need a plan of attack first."

"Yeah. Why? He isn't going to say no."

END OF CHAPTER 9


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